Sub $200 Boots

IdahoHntr

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I'm just inquiring on boots that you all have had good luck with for under $200. Mostly just inquiring about durability as my feet haven't ever been too picky and I've made several different brands of boots work well for me. Boots fit everybody different anyway, so there is no need to get in on that argument.

I have a pair of Cabelas boots that have been great and lasted me the last 5 years, but they don't have a whole lot of tread left and I don't see them lasting another season after this one is up. They have discontinued the model I currently have or I would just go back to it.

I like uninsulated boots, as I spend more time hunting in the earlier seasons and my feet run hot anyway. I average about 5-10 miles a day and hunt 15-20 days a year, so I put some miles on a pair of boots and I just want them to last at least 3 seasons or so.

I've looked at and tried on the Salomon Quest 4d 3 GTX and they fit great and seem like a similar boot to what I've worn in the past, but the negative reviews on their durability worry me.

Any suggestions out there?

(I know somebody wants to say buy once, cry once, but I've been getting 4-5 years out of sub-$150 boots, so I'm already expanding the budget and don't personally see the need for $300+ boots.)
 
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I guess I'm in your camp here - my feet aren't all that picky and I have had plenty of sub-200 boots hold up fine for me and don't see the need for $300+ boots.

Danner Pronghorns are getting an update this year for their 5th generation, and they are always highly rated. If I were buying new, I'd give those a hard look.

I recently picked up a pair of used Asolo 520's and sent them directly to have new soles put on. From what I could tell, those are going to be great boots. I have high expectations and I'll have less than $150 in them with the new soles. So keeping an eye out on the used market is an option as well. REI and FeeBay tend to run a lot of good quality used boots through.

https://www.rei.com/used/shop/mens-footwear?category=Hiking, Work & Winter Boots

The boots I'm wearing right now are a pair of Vasque hikers that I picked up used on FeeBay a few years ago. They have held up great and I got them for $50 shipped to my door.
 

Dvidos

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I guess I'm in your camp here - my feet aren't all that picky and I have had plenty of sub-200 boots hold up fine for me and don't see the need for $300+ boots.

Danner Pronghorns are getting an update this year for their 5th generation, and they are always highly rated. If I were buying new, I'd give those a hard look.

I recently picked up a pair of used Asolo 520's and sent them directly to have new soles put on. From what I could tell, those are going to be great boots. I have high expectations and I'll have less than $150 in them with the new soles. So keeping an eye out on the used market is an option as well. REI and FeeBay tend to run a lot of good quality used boots through.
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If they ever restock them, Sierra has some really nice all leather Asolo boots for a while earlier this year.

They didn’t fit me well, but you could tell they were well built.
 

wodje96

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I''ve been running asolo neutrons lately as a light boot. $150 at Seirra. Theyre very good for the weight, did get damp in the dew and rain though during last elk hunt. But the support (with added SOLEs) was impressive with a medium weigh pack in steep stuff. I have glass ankles and these did good buy me. I think they are a one or two year boot though. One hard week and they're just starting to show wear.
 
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I''ve been running asolo neutrons lately as a light boot. $150 at Seirra. Theyre very good for the weight, did get damp in the dew and rain though during last elk hunt. But the support (with added SOLEs) was impressive with a medium weigh pack in steep stuff. I have glass ankles and these did good buy me. I think they are a one or two year boot though. One hard week and they're just starting to show wear.
That's a good looking boot. Too bad they only go up to 13. fml LOL
 

honlx005

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I too had a pair of the cabelas brand boots that lasted 5+ years. I wore those things for everything. Currently I'm looking at the Pronghorns as one of our stores in the upper mid West (Scheels) has some of the previous generation on a huge sale!!

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
 
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IdahoHntr

IdahoHntr

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Thanks for the help guys! I had pair of pronghorns a while back that I liked, but it seems like reviews have gone down hill since then a bit. Maybe this new generation will be up to snuff. I tried a pair on the other day and they did feel pretty good. I'll check out Asolos as a couple of you mentioned those.
 

Fatcamp

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Went to Scheels today to see what's available for Pronghorns. Not a great experience. On the closeout ones they raised the price which didn't matter because they didn't have my size, and they couldn't find the new uninsulated model. In the end they agreed to lower the price on the closeout to match the advertised price on the shelf, but like I said, they didn't have my size.

I wanted the uninsulated. New or old, I don't care, and they couldn't find them. Odd. Normally things to smooth there.
 

mitchellbk

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I've been going down a rabbit hole of trying to find a truly US made boots. Came across these: https://www.amazon.com/Corcoran-Inc...ef=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8&th=1&psc=1

I'm not military so no idea how these will handle in the mountains. BUT, I spent this summer gathering cords of firewood in the forests nearby with $25 walmart steel toe boots - the desert tan colored ones and I never got a blister. It made me rethink my $400 schnees absarokas.
 
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My feet aren’t super picky but believe it or not I put a lot of miles on the Under Armour fat tire. Pretty flexible boot and a bit noisy but you can usually find them for about $100 if you search around and they hold water out pretty good as well. Decent boots for cheaper than mostz
 

tbowers

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May 29, 2019
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I bought a new pair of Pronghorns at Cabelas, they pinched my ankles so badly i couldnt hardly go a hundred yards. Right were the leather naturally folds at your ankle- maybe it was just my foot but I returned those suckers in a hurry. The Asolo Flame are good boots as well, dang near the same as the Neutron but the lace up eyelets are metal vs plastic . I run some Salomon 4D's, i havent had any issues with durability but you will read in nearly every review that the waterproofing is not good.
 

Team4LongGun

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Vasque and Salomon have been great for me. I've never tried used boots, but that's just me. Undergarments and footwear is a personal thing to me haha
 
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anyone else have much experience with the Danner Pronghorns? I don't have much for options around where i live other than cabalas and i know they carry that boot.
 
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I’ve had pretty good luck with surplus military boots. Danner’s old “Combat Hiker” wore real well, except a little short on ankle support for heavy pack. I have a pair of Belleville MCB 950s that are super comfortable and well suited for drier weather. My feet were soaked on an Alaska hunt, but to be fair I probably should have been wearing XTratuffs.

I like that the boots are made in USA. They are definitely affordable on Ebay. I put hundreds of miles on both pair.

I am probably going to try the new Danner Thorofare boots to keep with the Made in USA theme.
 

Slim79x

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I'm in love with my Irish Setter Vaprtreks. $150 and they are the most comfortable and lightweight hunting boots i've ever worn. During the shopping process i got worried by some of the reviews of them in regard to poor longevity but i have over 600 miles in mine and still have tread on the bottom. I just recently threw a new superfeet insole in them and it is like a new pair of boots. Based on the amount of tread I have left I'll probably get another 200-300 miles on them before i have to buy a new pair.
 
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